College Admissions: 5 Reasons to Try the ACT

Monday, July 23, 2012

Cristiana Quinn, GoLocalProv College Admissions Expert

While the SAT still dominates standardized testing for college admissions, the ACT has gained significant ground in the last 10 years. Originally, the ACT was more popular with mid-west and west coast colleges, but today every 4 year college in the U.S. accepts the ACT, and it is very well respected. In fact, because it is based more on coursework and is a more straightforward test, some college administrators value it more than the SAT. There are some significant differences, and the pace is VERY fast compared to the SAT, so f you are a slow processor, the ACT probably isn’t for you. Nevertheless, here are 5 reasons to consider giving it a try:

1. No Tricks

While the SAT is riddled with tricks and strategies to learn, the ACT is more direct in how they phrase questions. You won’t spend several minutes trying to figure out what they want on each question in the ACT—the intent is evident. Additionally, in the Math section of the ACT, the questions progress logically from easy to difficult. On the SAT, they are mixed up. So, you might get a moderately difficult question to start, then an easy one, and then a hard one that rattles your confidence and disrupts the flow of finishing that section.

2. Less Vocabulary

If words aren’t your thing, then the ACT is likely to be a better test for you. Vocabulary is not as big a part of the test. So if you have not been an avid reader growing up, you won’t have to spend hours trying to learn long lists of vocabulary in order to be successful on the ACT. You will need a robust vocabulary to score high on the SAT.

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3. More Math

If you are a student who has completed Algebra 2 and you are doing well in Trigonometry, the ACT may be for you. The SAT contains only Algebra 1, Geometry and little bit of Algebra 2. However, the ACT contains an array of Algebra 2 concepts and a few questions on Trigonometry. Successful math students will likely reap the benefits of a higher score and more cumulative points with this section of the ACT.

4. Science Reasoning

The ACT has a science section, a subject which does not exist on the SAT I. Because it is “science reasoning”, students without a strong laboratory science background should not be deterred. They won’t ask you to recite formulas or theorems. Instead, you will be asked to read passages and answer questions. It’s a section that strikes fear into the hearts of non-science kids, but it shouldn’t. For those who read, comprehend and reason well—it can be a winning area to achieve a higher score.

5. Avoid SAT II Subject Tests

At all but a few “uber” competitive colleges in the U.S., the ACT will count for both the SAT I and the SAT II Subject Tests. This means fewer test dates, reduced study time and less stress for students!

It is important to note that the ACT does give students the option to take the test with or without writing. However, most reasonably competitive colleges in the U.S. require the writing section, so all students should elect to include that section on test day. To see a list of dates and locations where the ACT is given, go to www.act.org.

Cristiana Quinn, M.Ed. is the founder of College Admission Advisors, LLC which provides strategic college counseling, SAT prep and athletic recruiting services www.collegeadvisorsonline.com.

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